CAREER: The role of language in children's acquisition of number concepts

这个为期五年的项目旨在研究数字的符号和非符号表征之间的联系，以及语言在促进3至5岁儿童从近似数字感向精确数字系统转变中的作用。基本的研究问题如下：在学龄前阶段，符号和非符号数字系统的发展是同步发生的吗？这两个系统的数字表示是动态变化的，在这一时期的幼儿期，但在何种程度上，这些发展是相关的，并结合它们的基本机制目前还不知道。本研究将从以下三个方面进行研究：（1）学前儿童符号和非符号数字表征的相关分析;（2）口聋儿童数字的发展解释;（3）幼儿注意力从物体到集合的发展解释。每年将进行各种带有假设的实证检验，包括研究（1）的纵向研究。拟议的教育活动包括：（1）为幼儿教育工作者和聋人教育工作者举办关于数字发展的教师年度讲习班;（2）为本科生举办暑期奖学金方案;（3）在聋人学前班开设和教授一门顶级课程;以及;确定进一步评估和向听力困难儿童传播聋人学前数学课程的机制。重要的是要知道聋哑儿童是否在学前水平的数学技能上有所延迟，因为这种延迟可能会使聪明的孩子在学校和其他环境中远离最佳数学学习。这些知识可以直接转化为干预措施，减少聋人和听力学生在STEM学科中的成绩差距。拟议的项目将通过在儿童进入正规教育环境之前提高我们对数学学习基础的认识来影响STEM教育。这些研究将有助于我们进一步了解：（1）学前儿童如何获得数概念;（2）语言在数概念发展中扮演什么角色;（3）语言延迟如何影响数概念的发展。更广泛地说，该项目研究了符号系统（如语言）如何在发展过程中与非符号系统（如数量表示）相互作用。此外，这项工作将提供一个非常需要的分析，在年轻的聋人或重听儿童的数字发展，因为在聋人的算术研究很少延伸到学龄前年龄。这项研究将有助于我们更好地理解幼儿数概念的发展，并有助于制定适当和有效的学前课程，以支持未来的数学学习。拟议的项目还包括本科研究人员的参与以及与幼儿教师和从业人员的合作。

The proposed five-year project seeks to investigate the connections between symbolic and nonsymbolic representations of number and the role of language in facilitating the transformation from approximate number sense to exact numerical systems in 3- to 5-year old children. The basic research question is as follows: Do developments in symbolic and non-symbolic number systems occur in tandem during the preschool years? Both systems of numerical representation are dynamically changing during this period of early childhood, but the extent to which these developments are correlated and the underlying mechanisms that bind them are currently not known. The following three lines of studies will be investigated: (1) Correlational analysis of symbolic and non-symbolic number representations in preschoolers; (2) Developmental account of numbers in oral-deaf children, and; (3) Developmental account of attentional shifts from objects to sets in young children. Various empirical tests with hypotheses will be conducted annually, including a longitudinal study in the case of study (1). The proposed educational activities include: (1) annual workshops for teachers on number development for both early childhood educators and educators of the deaf; (2) summer fellowship program for undergraduate students; (3) development and teaching of a capstone course at a preschool for the deaf, and; identification of mechanisms to further evaluate and disseminate preschool mathematics programs for deaf to hard-of-hearing children. It is important to know whether deaf children are delayed on preschool-level math skills, because such a delay could entrench otherwise bright children on a path away from optimal mathematical learning in school and other contexts. This knowledge can directly translate into interventions that reduce the well-documented achievement gap between deaf and hearing students in STEM disciplines.The proposed project will impact STEM education by advancing our knowledge of the foundations of mathematical learning before children enter formal educational settings. The studies will advance our understanding of: (1) how preschool children acquire number concepts; (2) what role language plays in the development of number concepts, and; (3) how language delays impact the development of number concepts. More broadly, the project investigates how symbolic systems (like language) interact with non-symbolic systems (like quantity representations) over the course of development. In addition, this work will provide a much needed analysis of number development in young deaf or hard-of-hearing children because studies of numeracy in the deaf rarely extend to the preschool ages. The proposed work will provide us with a better understanding of conceptual development of number in young children, which hopefully will contribute to the development of appropriate and effective preschool curricula to support future mathematical learning. The proposed project also includes participation by undergraduate researchers and collaborations with early childhood teachers and practitioners.